Strengthening Cultural Heritage Preservation in Senegal
Participants at the Preserving Textile and Fashion Collections Workshop in Dakar, Senegal.
The International Programs division of the Yale Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage (IPCH) recently continued its work in Senegal through a series of collaborative activities focused on strengthening the preservation of archives and collections.
A central part of the engagement was the continuation of IPCH’s collaboration with the Théodore Monod Museum of African Art at Cheikh Anta Diop University, led by Yale Directors Forum Fellow El Hadji Malick Ndiaye. Last year, IPCH facilitated a focused training workshop with museum staff on collections care and management. This recent visit built upon that foundation through more in-depth, hands-on collaboration centered on identifying key artists and cultural figures and working with them to organize, catalogue, and conserve significant collections and archives, including an extensive textile collection of important historical value.
Throughout the engagement, museum staff received additional practical training in collections management, preservation planning, documentation, and conservation approaches, further strengthening institutional capacity and deepening local expertise in these critical areas.
As part of this country-focused activity, IPCH also facilitated two professional workshops:
Preserving Photographs and Paper-Based Collections
Anta Souare, Matar Ndour, Luc DaSilva, and Mustapha Cisse learning how to measure humidity at the workshop in Dakar, Senegal.
This workshop focused on practical strategies for safeguarding photographs, documents, and other paper-based materials that are often vulnerable to environmental damage, improper storage, and deterioration over time. Watch some highlights of the workshop here.
Preserving Textile and Fashion Collections
Conversation specialist Anupam Sah, showing Mohamadou El Lamine Diallo, Director of Kamal Raw how to measure light intensity.
The second workshop focused on the preservation of textiles and fashion collections, with particular attention to materials that hold artistic, historical, and cultural significance.
Together, the workshops reached a total of 24 participants representing museums and cultural institutions in Senegal, including the Musée de la Photographie de Saint-Louis and the Léopold Sédar Senghor Foundation, as well as practicing artists, photographers, designers, and independent cultural practitioners from across the country. Watch some highlights of the workshop here.
Participant Reflections
“We benefited from a very high-quality workshop adapted to the problems we face.”
Vydia Tamby, Founder of Fonds d’Archives Africain pour la Sauvegarde des Mémoires, and Cultural Advisor to the Mayor of Dakar
“The workshop increased our knowledge and skills in the proper preservation of textile and fashion collections.”
Anta Souare, team member at Theodore Monod Museum of African Art
This work is part of IPCH’s broader engagement with cultural heritage leaders and institutions across the Global South, while creating pathways for deeper global exchange, collaboration, and shared learning across Yale.
